Civilian shot dead attempting to stop armed robber

Police launch wide-scale search for suspect in armed robbery of Nazareth Illit Israel Post office bank.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Police in Hod Hasharon 311 (photo credit: Zaka / Anshil Za'ak)
Police in Hod Hasharon 311
(photo credit: Zaka / Anshil Za'ak)
A man was shot in the head and killed on Monday while trying to tackle an armed robber at a post office in Upper Nazareth.
A masked gunman entered an Israel Postal Company branch in the morning and demanded that the cashier place thousands of shekels in a bag.
As he turned to walk out of the door, the robber was challenged by 49-year-old David Mashashwili. The suspect opened fire from close range.
A Magen David Adom paramedic crew tried to revive Mashashwili while evacuating him to Emek Medical Center in Afula. He soon died.
Relatives of Mashashwili said he intended to arrive at the post office on Sunday to collect a disability benefit payment, but delayed the visit until Monday due to a family visit.
“My father is a hero,” Mashashwili’s son, who visited the scene of the homicide, told Ma’ariv.
Mashashwili had suffered a stroke several years ago.
Police have launched a search for the gunman. They also obtained a court-ordered media ban preventing publication of details from the investigation.